Hat-fastener.



S. NICKLAUS.

HAT FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2.19I5.

0 11 9 1 6 w 1 H o d m m a P KNEW m 1% Wm M I W H, III a STEVE NICKLAUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAT-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed July 2, 1915. Serial No. 37,703.

i '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEVE NICKLAUS, a subject of the King of Hungar and a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hat-Fasteners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a class of devices adapted to be used in conjunction with the hats of persons.

My invention has for its object primarily to provide a hat fastener designed to be employed for fastening hats against accidental displacement on the heads especially of women, and which is of a form adapted to permit the hat to be readily applied to, or removed from the head of the wearer with out disarranging the coiifure. This is accomplished mainly by providing a supporting rod adapted to be arranged and held stationary on the interior of the crown of the hat, and this supporting rod is composed of two complemental members having opposite ends thereof movably connected to permit the members to be yielding'ly guided relatively lengthwise toward and from each other. On the members of the supporting rod are held opposite parts of a resilient frame adapted to be ex pansibly and contractibly guided and on opposite parts of the frame between its parts which are held to the members of the supporting rod is mounted a retaining device composed of two cooperating toothed elements, or combs arranged so that the teeth thereof are in opposed relation for being directed toward and from each other synchronously with the expansible and contractible movements of the resilient frame, in order to permit the retaining device to detachably engage the hair of the wearer for removably holding the hat on thehead.

Another object of the invention is to provide means which is manually operable exteriorly of the hat whereby the members of the supporting rod and the frame will be guided so that the toothed elements of the device will be spread apart against the tension of the resilient frame; and a further object of the invention is to provide a hat fastener of a simple and durable construction which is susceptible of being'employed in conjunction with hats-of various shapes nd. size laterally with relation to the supporting rod,

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, the said invention being more fully described hereinafter and then'pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a fragmentary view showing an inverted plan of a hat with one form of fastener embodying my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the hat showing a different manner of using the fastener in conjunction therewith; Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan, partly broken away, of the hat fastener. Fig. 4 is an enlarged inverted plan of the hat fastener, with parts removed therefrom, and Fig. 5 is a section, partly in detail, taken on the line V-V of Fig. 4.

The device, or hat fastener has a supporting rod 10 which maybe of any suitable length and thisv supporting rod is adapted to be arranged interiorly of the crown 11 of a hat, 12 usually worn by women. The supporting rod 10 is composed of two complemental members 13 and 14 made preferably of steel wire, and these members are disposed so that one end of one member is in spaced opposed relation to, one end of the other member. Extending from the member 14 is a sleeve 15 in which the opposed end of the member 13 is freely movable to permit the members of the supporting rod to be moved relatively lengthwise to and from each other. The opposite ends of the complemental members 13 and 14 of the sup porting rod are sharpened to points, as at 17 and 18, respectively, to allow the pointed ends to be easily forced through the crown of a hat, and these pointed ends are threaded.

Mounted on the members 13 and 14 of the supporting rod 10 is a resilient frame 21 adapted to be expansibly and contractibly guided laterally with relation to the supporting rod. The frame 21 has, a plate 22 held stationary on the member 13 of the supporting rod 10 in proximity to its pointed end 17, and on the member 14 of the supporting rod contiguous to its pointed end 18 is a stationary plate 23. Connecting the plates 22 and 23 are two rods 24 and 25 both of which are of steel wire, or other spring metal, and these rods are curved in opposite directions for being disposed in spaced relas tion to opposite sides of the supporting rod as Well as to form the resilient frame 1n approximately an elliptic shape so as to be yieldingly expanded and contracted alternately toward and from the supporting rod.

On the resilient frame 21 is provided a retaining device 26 serving to be operated when the fastener is used in conjunction with a hat for detachably engaging the hair of the wearer to hold the hat against accidental displacement. The retaining device is composed of two cooperating toothed elements, or combs 27 and 28. The toothed element 27 has a back, or bar 29 held stationary, at 30, to the spring rod 24 of the frame 21 midway between the stationary plates 22 and 23 thereof, and projecting from this back are a number of spaced teeth. 31 disposed transversely of the supporting rod 10 toward the spring rod 25 of the frame. The toothed element 28 has a similar back, or bar 32 which is held stationary, at 33, to the spring rod 25 centrally between the plates 22 and 23, and extending from this back are a number of spaced teeth 34 disposed transversely of the supporting rod 10 toward the spring rod 24 of the frame. The teeth 31 and 34 of the toothed elements of the retaining device are of sufiicient lengths as well as being relatively arranged so that one set of the teeth are disposed in the spaces between the other set of the teeth, as shown, in order to permit the teeth to engage a sutlicient quantity of the hair of a person to properly hold the fastener thereto. The ends of the backs or bars 29 and 32 of the toothed elements are free of being directly connected to the spring rods 24 and 25 and instead one end of the back 29 is connected to one end of a flexible wire, or line 35 having its other end fastened to the spring rod 24 in proximity to the plate 22 while to the other end of the back 29 is connected one end of another wire, or line 36 having its other end fastened to the spring rod 24 contiguous to the plate 23. To one end of the back 32 of the toothed element- 28 is connected one end of a flexible wire, or line 37 having its other end fastened to the spring rod 25 adjacent to the plate 22, and to the other end of the back 32 of this toothed element is held one end of still another flexible wire, or line 38 having its opposite end connected to the spring rod 25 contiguous to the plate 23. When the members 13 and14 of the supporting rod 10 are forced toward each other, as will be hereinafter more fully explained, the resilient frame 21 will be expanded laterally with respect to the supporting rod to force the toothed elements of the retaining device 26 sufficiently apart to admit therebetween a quantity of the hair of a persomand when the pressure on the members of the supporting rod is released the tension of the spring rods 24 and 25 will cause the toothed elements to be reversely moved to their normal positions for holding the hair in the teeth of the retaining device.

To free the engagement of the teeth of the retaining device with the hair of a person the members of the supporting rod 10 are similarly forced toward each other, and to clear the teeth of the hair of the person to allow the fastener to be removed from the head, I provide within the resilient frame 21 a second yieldingly expansible and co'.tractible frame, or separator, as 39. The separator 39 has a sleeve 40 which is freely movable on the member 13 of the supporting rod 10 in spaced relation to the stationary plate 22 of the resilient frame 21,. and freely movable on the member 14. of the supporting rod in spaced relation to the stationary plate 23 of the frame 21 is a second. sleeve 41. The movable sleeves 40 and 41 are arranged between the spring rods 24 and 25 of the resilient frame 21, and on the teeth 31 of the back 29 of the toothed element 27 of the retaining device 26 between the supporting rod 10 and the spring rod 24 of the frame 21 is a bar 42. On the teeth 34 of the toothed element 28 of the retaining device between the supporting rod 10 and the spring rod 25 is a second bar 43. The bars 42 and 43 are adapted to be moved in frictional contact with the teeth of the toothed elements. toward and from the free ends thereof simultaneously with the movements of these sets of teeth. To one end of the bar 42 is connected one end of a thin spring metal wire 44 having its other end fastened to the sleeve 40 of the separator, and to the other end of this bar is connected one end of a second thin spring metal wire 45 having its other end secured'to the sleeve 41 of the separator. To one end of the bar 43 of the separator is held one end of a thin spring wire 46 having its other end. fastened to the sleeve 40,-and to the other end of this bar is held one end of still another thin spring wire 47 having its second end fastened to the sleeve 41. By forming these parts in this manner the yielding frame, or separator 39 is also substantially elliptic in shape, but the separator being smaller than the resilient frame 21 the scope of expansible and contractible movements of the separator will not be as great as the expansible and contractible movements of the frame 21. Moreover, the sets of teeth of the retaining device 26 will be moved somewhat faster as well as being swung a greater distance laterally toward and from the sup porting rod 10 than the bars 42 and 43 of the separator when the fastener is operated.

When the fastener is applied to a hat for use it is disposed transversely of the interior of the crown, as shown in Fig. 1, and the pointed ends 17 and 18 of the members 13 and 14 of the supporting rod 10 is forced through the material of the crown so as to extend exteriorly thereof. The sleeve 15 of the supporting rod may then be stitched, or otherwise fastened tothe upper part of the crown of the hat. In order to permit the device to be conveniently operated manually on the threaded pointed ends 17 and 18 of the members of the supporting rod 10 are screwed threaded recessed knobs, as 48 and 49. After the hat is properly positioned on the head of the wearer the knobs 4S and 49 are forced toward each other, and the members 13 and 14 of the supporting rod 10 will be moved in like directions. The spring rods 24 and 25 of the resilient elliptic frame 21 will then be expansibly guided in oppo site directions laterally from the supporting rod, and the toothed elements 27 and 28 of the retaining device 26 will be similarly spread apart. The bars 42 and 43 of the separator 39 will also be expansibly guided, and when the pressure on the knobs is released the tension of the spring rods 24 and 25 will cause the toothed elements 27 and 28 of the retaining device to be reversely moved for engaging part of the hair of the wearer of the hat therebetween. The hat will thereby be held against accidentaldisplacement, and when it is desired to remove the hat the knobs 48 and 49 are again forced toward each other for operating the parts of the fastener in a similar manner. The bars 42 and 43 of the separator 39 will then serve to clear the strands of the hair from the teeth of the elements 27 and 28 of the retaining device, and the hat may be removed from the head of the wearer without disarranging the coiifure, or pulling the hair.

Fig. 2 shows a different manner of using the fastener on a hat. In this instance the fastener is positioned in the crown of the hat longitudinally thereof instead of transversely, and the pointed end of one of the members of the supporting rod 10 is penetrated through the crown after its knob is removed therefrom. The knob may then be re-applied on this pointed end of the memher, and the fastener may be additionally secured in the crown of the hat by stitching, or otherwise fastening the sleeve 15 of the supporting rod 10 to the crown of the hat. Through opposite parts transversely of the crown of the hat are then passed two rods, as 50 and 51. One end of each of these rods are threaded, and these threaded ends are screwed into threaded openings, not shown, which are provided centrally of the bars of the resilient elliptic frame 21. The rods 50 and 51 are of lengths so as to extend some distance beyond the exterior of the crown of the hat, and to permit these rods to be conveniently moved on their outer ends are provided knobs, or handles 52 and 53. hen the fastener is operated by means of these rods they are guided in opposite directions outwardly of the crown of the hat, instead of being forced toward each other in accordance with the above explained operation when the knobs 48 and 49 are manipulated. IVith the outward movements of the operating rods 50 and 51 the resilient frame 21 will be expansibly guided against the tension of the spring rods 24 and 25, and the toothed elements 27 and 28 will be correspondingly spaced apart. The bars and 43 of the separator 39 will also be expansibly moved, and when the rods 50 and 51 are released the spring action of the rods 24 and 25 will cause a reverse movementvof the parts, and part of the hair of the person wearing the hat will be engaged by the toothed elements of the retaining device 26. The hat will thereby be held against accidental displacement, and to subsequently remove the hat the fastener is similarly operated, the separator 29 serving to remove all the hair from the teeth of the retaining de vice during this operation for permitting the hat to be removed without discomfiture to the wearer.

In the foregoing description, I have embodied the preferred form of my invention, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, therefore I reserve to myself the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a hat fastener, a supporting rod adapted to be held stationary on the interior of the crown of a persons hat, the said supporting rod being composed of two complemental members having opposite ends thereof movably connected to permit the members to be yieldingly guided relatively lengthwise toward and from each other, a resilient frame having opposite parts held stationary on each member of the supporting rod so as to be eXpansibly and contractibly guided laterally with relation to the supporting rod, two cooperating toothed elements, one on each of the opposite parts of the resilient frame between the parts thereof which are held to the members of the supporting rod, the teeth of the toothed elements being in opposed relation for being directed toward and from each other synchronously with the expansible and contractible movements of the resilient frame so that the toothed elements will removably engage the hair of the wearer of the hat, and manually operative means on the fastener whereby the fastener may be operated exteriorly of the crown of the hat.

2-. In a hat fastener, a supporting rod adapted to be held stationary on the interior of the crown of a persons hat, the said supporting rod being composed of two complemental members having opposite ends thereof .moyably connected to permit the members to be yieldingly guided relatively lengthwise toward and. from each other, a substantially elliptic spring frame having opposite parts held stationary on each member of the supporting rod so as to be eXpan sibly and contractibly guided laterally with relation to the supporting rod, two cooperating sets of spaced teeth one on each of the opposite parts of the frame between the parts thereof which are held to the members of the supporting rod, and the sets of teeth being in opposed relation for being directed toward and from each other synchronously with the expansible and contractible movements of the frame so that the teeth Will removably engage the hair of the wearer of the hat, and manually operative means on the fastener whereby the fastener may be operated exteriorly of the crown of the hat.

This specification signed and witnessed this first day of July A. D. 1915.

STEVE NICKLAUS.

Witnesses R0131. B. ABBOTT, lVL DERMODY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

